The first genuine hand knitting machine made its debut in 1939 at the Swiss National Exhibition. It had been built by Ernst Luchsinger, with the help of an emigrant from Hungary. Although using this weaving machine required a fair amount of manual labor, the results were 5 to 8 times faster than pure hand weaving.
From the beginning, E. Luchsinger sold its hand knitting machines under the brand name PASSAP, which is an abbreviation for PAtent Schnell Strick AParat, meaning something (like “patented rapid knitting apparatus”).
The development of the ELECTRONIC 6000 was the biggest and most expensive challenge in PASSAP’s 60-year history. Its development not only posed a formidable challenge for MADAG’s engineers, it was also a huge leap towards new technologies. Ultimately all obstacles were overcome and the result was the state-of-the-art electronic weaving machine of its time.
The Passap E 6000 weaves exactly what you say, seamlessly with the unique dialog computer that communicates with you. The important thing is that you learn to speak Passap to be able to communicate with the console. Since it is very precise, there is a learning curve to get familiar with programming the console and get the exact result you want.
The electronic system of the knitting console asks you a series of simple questions. They are not in the usual sequence that we are used to and do not answer why or how such patience is needed on your part.
When you understand the console’s step-by-step format and the questions it asks, it will be easier to learn programming to avoid error messages and achieve pattern and technical input on the computer.
The computer displays the options and you decide if you want to accept them.
There is no point in wishing the manual was written more clearly. We have to work with what we have and get used to the flow, the way the console is set up and the sequence of questions that are asked. Once you have gained the knowledge of the sequence, your Passap weaving will be much easier.
The learning curve is a bit steep, but certainly doable, so I want to encourage you to stick with it until you hit the crunch times and gain the confidence of knowing you can handle this wonderful machine.